Somalia - UNOSOM I

Prepared by the Department of Public Information, United Nations
It may be used and reproduced freely by giving acknowledgement to DPI
This text was last updated effective 21 March 1997

Not an official document of the United Nations

UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA I

MISSION BACKGROUNDER:

LOCATION: Somalia

HEADQUARTERS: Mogadishu

DURATION: April 1992 - March 1993

STRENGTH: 50 military observers, 3,500 security personnel, up to 719 logistic support
personnel; there were also some 200 international civilian staff

FATALITIES: 8 (military personnel)

EXPENDITURES: $42,931,700 net

FUNCTION: Established to monitor the cease-fire in Mogadishu, the capital of
Somalia, and to provide protection and security for United Nations personnel,
equipment and supplies at the seaports and airports in Mogadishu and escort deliveries
of humanitarian supplies from there to distribution centres in the city and its immediate
environs. In August 1992, UNOSOM I's mandate and strength were enlarged to enable
it to protect humanitarian convoys and distribution centres throughout Somalia. In
December 1992, after the situation in Somalia further deteriorated, the Security Council
authorized Member States to form the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) to establish a safe
environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. UNITAF worked in
coordination with UNOSOM I to secure major population centres and ensure that
humanitarian assistance was delivered and distributed

BACKGROUND TEXT

The following text is adapted from the "Blue Helmets" - A Review of United Nations Peacekeeping. The Blue Helmets is a United Nations Sales Publication issued in December 1996. Click here for SALES AND PUBLICATIONS

Crisis in Somalia

The United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I) was set up to facilitate
humanitarian aid to people trapped by civil war and famine. The mission developed into
a broad attempt to help stop the conflict and reconstitute the basic institutions of a
viable State. Somalia occupies a strategically important geopolitical position at the Horn
of Africa. The political culture is influenced by competition among a number of clans
and clan-based factions.

From November 1991, there was heavy fighting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu
between armed elements allied to General Mohamed Farah Aidid, or to Mr. Ali
Mohamed Mahdi, the appointed "interim President", and yet other factions. In addition
to Mogadishu, there was conflict in Kismayo, and in the north-west, local leaders were
pushing to create an independent "Somaliland". The country as a whole was without
any form of central government. Banditry was rife.

The fighting that followed, with clans and sub-clans constituted in loose alliances
without central control, took place at a time of serious drought. That combination
proved disastrous for the population at large. By 1992, almost 4.5 million people, more
than half the total number in the country, were threatened with starvation, severe
malnutrition and related diseases. The magnitude of suffering was immense. Overall,
an estimated 300,000 people, including many children, died. Some 2 million people,
violently displaced from their home areas, fled either to neighbouring countries or
elsewhere within Somalia. All institutions of governance and at least 60 per cent of the
country's basic infrastructure disintegrated.

Security Council imposes arms embargo
and calls for humanitarian assistance

Against this background, in January 1992, the Security Council unanimously adopted
resolution 733(1992) under Chapter VII of the Charter, imposing a general and
complete arms embargo on Somalia.

On 17 March 1992, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 746(1992), urging the
continuation of the United Nations humanitarian work in Somalia and strongly
supporting the Secretary-General's decision to dispatch a technical team. Three days
later, the Secretary-General appointed a Coordinator to oversee the effective delivery of
humanitarian aid to Somalia. On 27 and 28 March, agreements were signed between
the rival parties in Mogadishu resulting in the deployment of United Nations observers
to monitor the cease-fire of 3 March 1992. The agreement also included deployment of
United Nations security personnel to protect United Nations personnel and
humanitarian assistance activities.

The Secretary-General then recommended the establishment of a United Nations
Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), comprising 50 military observers to monitor the
cease-fire, and a 500-strong infantry unit to provide United Nations convoys of relief
supplies with a sufficiently strong military escort to deter attack and to fire in self-defence, showed deterrence proving ineffective. The Secretary-General submitted a
90-Day Plan of Action to provide food and non-food supplies to some 1.5 million people
immediately at risk and to help an additional 3.5 million people with food, seeds and
basic health and water supply. On 28 April 1992, the Secretary-General appointed Mr.
Mohammed Sahnoun (Algeria) as Special Representative for Somalia.

UNOSOM I established

On 24 April 1992, the Security Council adopted resolution 751(1992), establishing
UNOSOM I. The Council asked the Secretary-General to deploy immediately 50
unarmed but uniformed United Nations military observers and to continue consultations
with the parties in Mogadishu. These consultations took nearly two months. On 23
June, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council that both principal factions in
Mogadishu had agreed to the deployment of the unarmed observers. The observers,
from Austria, Bangladesh, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan,
Morocco and Zimbabwe, served under Chief Military Observer Brigadier-General Imtiaz
Shaheen of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, conditions within Somalia continued to deteriorate for the great majority of
its people. The Secretary-General stated that "the desperate and complex situation in
Somalia will require energetic and sustained efforts on the part of the international
community to break the circle of violence and hunger". The United Nations could
support the process, but the conflict could only be resolved by the people of Somalia
themselves.

UNOSOM I strengthened

In resolution 767(1992) of 27 July 1992, the Security Council approved the proposal to
establish four operational zones - Berbera, Bossasso, Mogadishu and Kismayo - and
strongly endorsed sending a technical team to Somalia. On 24 August 1992, the
Secretary-General requested an increase in the authorized strength of UNOSOM to
create the four operational zones. For each zone, UNOSOM would be provided with a
military unit of 750, all ranks. In addition to the two agreed areas, he proposed that units
be posted to Berbera and Kismayo as soon as consultations with leaders there made it
possible. The total strength of United Nations security personnel envisaged for Somalia
thus rose to 3,500. On 28 August, the Security Council, by resolution 775 (1992),
authorized the increase. On 8 September, it agreed to a further addition of three
logistical units, raising the total authorized strength of UNOSOM to 4,219 troops and 50
military observers. The first group of security personnel arrived in Mogadishu on 14
September 1992.

100-Day Action Plan

In tandem with these preparations, the Secretary-General sought to improve planning
and coordination of humanitarian action under a 100-Day Action Programme for
Accelerated Humanitarian Assistance. The plan had eight main objectives: (1) massive
infusion of food aid; (2) aggressive expansion of supplementary feeding; (3) provision of
basic health services and mass measles immunization; (4) urgent provision of clean
water, sanitation and hygiene; (5) provision of shelter materials, blankets and clothes;
(6) simultaneous delivery of seeds, tools and animal vaccines with food rations; (7)
prevention of further refugee outflows and the promotion of returnee programmes; (8)
institution-building and rehabilitation of civil society. Of the $82.7 million requested for
its implementation, a total of $67.3 million was received.

Growing difficulties

Implementing the programme proved difficult. Continuing disagreements among Somali
factions on the United Nations role made the countrywide and more effective
deployment of UNOSOM impossible. Mr. Sahnoun resigned as Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, and was replaced by Mr. Ismat Kittani of Iraq on 8 November
1992. On 28 October, General Mohamad Fahrah Aidid declared that the Pakistani
UNOSOM battalion would no longer be tolerated in Mogadishu. He also ordered the
expulsion within 48 hours of the UNOSOM Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance.
Subsequently, General Mohamad Fahrah Aidid's forces shelled and shot at UNOSOM
forces controlling the airport, and Mr. Ali Mohamed Mahdi's forces shelled ships
carrying food as they attempted to enter Mogadishu port. General Aidid objected to
United Nations control of the airport; Mr. Ali Mohamed Mahdi wanted UNOSOM to take
full control of the port. On 13 November, after coming under machine-gun, rifle and
mortar fire, the Pakistani troops controlling the airport returned fire. In the absence of a
government capable of maintaining law and order, relief organizations experienced
increased hijacking of vehicles, looting of convoys and warehouses, and detention of
expatriate staff.

Unified Task Force (UNITAF)

On 3 December 1992, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 794(1992).
The Council welcomed the United States offer to help create a secure environment for
the delivery of humanitarian aid in Somalia and authorized, under Chapter VII of the
Charter, the use of "all necessary means" to do so. Resolution 794 asked States to
provide military forces and to make contributions in cash or kind for the operation.
Appropriate mechanisms for coordination between the United Nations and those
military forces were also to be established by the Secretary-General and States
participating in the operation.

Operation Restore Hope

United States President George Bush responded to Security Council resolution 794
(1992) with a decision on 4 December to initiate Operation Restore Hope, under which
the United States would assume the unified command of the new operation in
accordance with resolution 794(1992). The Secretary-General communicated to
President Bush on 8 December his concept of a division of labour between the United
Nations and the United States in the following terms: "The United States has
undertaken to take the lead in creating the secure environment which is an inescapable
condition for the United Nations to provide humanitarian relief and promote national
reconciliation and economic reconstruction, objectives which have from the outset been
included in the various Security Council resolutions on Somalia."

The first elements of the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) came ashore on the beaches of
Mogadishu without opposition on 9 December 1992. On 13 December, United States
forces had secured the airfield at Baledogle, and by 16 December they had seized
Baidoa. The United States Central Command was following a four-phase programme to
realize the objectives of securing major airports and seaports, key installations and food
distribution points, and providing open and free passage of relief supplies, with security
for convoys and relief organizations and those supplying humanitarian relief. The
number of United States forces were expected to build to approximately 28,000
personnel, to be augmented by some 17,000 UNITAF troops from over 20 countries. In
addition to United States forces, UNITAF included military units from Australia, Belgium,
Botswana, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco,
New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey,
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

National reconciliation

In the light of his Special Representative's continuing contacts with Somali parties, the
Secretary-General initiated the process of national reconciliation during the first phase
of action by UNITAF. To that end, he convened a preparatory meeting for a conference
of national reconciliation and unity from 4 to 15 January 1993. Fourteen Somali political
movements attended and concluded three agreements: the General Agreement of 8
January 1993; the Agreement On Implementing The Cease-fire And On Modalities Of
Disarmament, and; the Agreement On The Establishment Of An Ad Hoc Committee for
the conference on national reconciliation.

Transition from UNITAF to UNOSOM II

On 3 March 1993, the Secretary-General submitted to the Security Council his
recommendations for effecting the transition from UNITAF to UNOSOM II. He indicated
that since the adoption of Council resolution 794 (1992) in December 1992, UNITAF
had deployed approximately 37,000 troops in southern and central Somalia, covering
approximately 40 per cent of the country's territory. The presence and operations of
UNITAF had a positive impact on the security situation in Somalia and on the effective
delivery of humanitarian assistance. However, despite the improvement, a secure
environment had not yet been established, and incidents of violence continued. There
was still no effective functioning government in the country, no organized civilian police
and no disciplined national army. The security threat to personnel of the United Nations
and its agencies, UNITAF, ICRC and NGOs was still high in some areas of Mogadishu
and other places in Somalia. Moreover, there was no deployment of UNITAF or
UNOSOM troops to the north-east and north-west, or along the Kenyan-Somali border,
where security continued to be a matter of grave concern.

The Secretary-General concluded therefore, that, should the Security Council
determine that the time had come for the transition from UNITAF to UNOSOM II, the
latter should be endowed with enforcement powers under Chapter VII of the United
Nations Charter to establish a secure environment throughout Somalia. UNOSOM II
would therefore seek to complete the task begun by UNITAF for the restoration of
peace and stability in Somalia. The new mandate would also empower UNOSOM II
assist to the Somali people in rebuilding their economic, political and social life, through
achieving national reconciliation so as to recreate a democratic Somali State.

UNOSOM II was established by the Security Council in resolution 814(1993) on 26
March 1993. UNOSOM II took over from UNITAF in May 1993. (Click here for UNOSOM II)

Reference Note:

For further referenced information, "The United Nations and Somalia -- 1992-1996";
Blue Books Series, Volume VIII, with an introduction by Boutros-Boutros Ghali,
Secretary General of the United Nations, is available (United Nations Publication Sales No. E.96.1.8) (Click here for SALES AND PUBLICATIONS)